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Mineralogical and physicochemical characterization of selected Portuguese Mesozoic-Cenozoic muddy/clayey raw materials to be potentially used as healing clays

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

M. Rebelo ,
F. Rocha  and
E. Ferreira Da Silva
M. Rebelo*
Affiliation:
GEOBIOTEC, Geoscience Department, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
F. Rocha
Affiliation:
GEOBIOTEC, Geoscience Department, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
E. Ferreira Da Silva
Affiliation:
GEOBIOTEC, Geoscience Department, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
*
*E-mail: mrebelo@ua.pt
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Abstract

The use of pelitic geological materials for the treatment of muscle-bone-skin pathologies, by application of a cataplasm made of clay and mineral water mixture, is currently receiving attention and interest from the general public and scientific community. In Portugal there are several natural occurrences of clays/muds which are used for pelotherapy and/or geotherapy. These are carried out either indoors (thalassotherapy and thermal centres) or outdoors, in natural sites generally located near the seaside. The aim of this study is to assess the mineralogical and physicochemical properties of Portuguese raw materials for therapeutic purposes. These materials were collected from different Portuguese Mesozoic-Cenozoic geological formations located in the neighbourhood of thermal centres or at beaches known from their empirical applications. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) were used to assess the mineralogical composition of these clays. Physicochemical properties, such as specific surface area, cation exchange capacity, plasticity/abrasiveness indices and heat diffusiveness were also determined. Having distinct geological ages and genesis, the materials examined are mainly illitic. Less abundant kaolinite and smectite are also present. With respect to their physicochemical properties, all samples have good thermal properties which make them potentially suitable for therapeutic or aesthetic purposes.

Keywords

clay mineralsphysicochemical propertiesthermal mudmedicinal usegeotherapypelotherapymuddy/clayey raw materialsPortugal
Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , June 2010 , pp. 229 - 240
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2010

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